Considering adding an amp. Not sure if its needed but many have said I would get improved clarity and will be able to listen at higher volume with less distortion. I seem to get pretty darn good performance now but hey, if it can be better....

Here is my set up:

Yamaha RX-A3050M22 frontsVP160 centerQS8's surround

Any advice on the need for an amp and if so what specs should I be looking for? specific product recommendations?

What subs are you running ATM. At one point during my HT addiction i was running a Denon AVR 3311 which is a fairly decent receiver (still in service ) and i added a Emotiva 3 channel amp and the difference was huge. I dont play movies loud and it was not that kind of change, it was fullness and cohesion of the sound that i experienced. Now people say amps dont sound different, i happen to think they do, and some say its expectation bias i say BS. I added the amp and my boys noticed the difference and they did not know the amp had been added. If you dont want to take the chance find someone to borrow one from or buy one with a 30 day return, i highly doubt you will return it.

I think with the M22's you should run you sub a bit higher , i recommend crossing over at 120hz unless your sub is a long ways away from the mains. I had M2's for a short period and they sounded great but i had to play the sub up a little to compensate.

I have a specific sub issue. Some others suffer from the same affliction as me. It’s a not so rare illness called “wifedoesntlikethebigboxonthefloor” syndrome. Sooooo I have a Sunfire HRS-8 in Wall system. It OK, just OK. I have my center VP160 set to large and with that combo seem to do pretty well with bass. Since you are an amp fan.... any suggestions? Amplify all channels or just certain ones?

Not intending to feed your upgradeitis but it seems to me that a speaker upgrade is probably best before going to a separate amp. I'd start with a set of front speakers with HP woofers such as the M100 or M80 with VP180. Those are bigger so might be tough to sneak past your spouse, but you could always contact a divorce lawyer to help solve that problem...

Not intending to feed your upgradeitis but it seems to me that a speaker upgrade is probably best before going to a separate amp. I'd start with a set of front speakers with HP woofers such as the M100 or M80 with VP180. Those are bigger so might be tough to sneak past your spouse, but you could always contact a divorce lawyer to help solve that problem...

I suspect aaron will have a WAF issue with large speakers as well. I agree if you can get them past the recreational director (sex) i would upgrade your mains. As for the amp i would do the LCR and let the 3050 handle the rest.

I can certainly upgrade the on walls and center. My center especially is behind an AT screen so no issue there. My M22’s are wrapped with stone on wall so upgrade there will take some labor. Also doesn’t 90% of the dialog come from center? That’s where I’m seeing the biggest need for improvement. My M22 channel levels are actually turned down much lower than my center to try to improve dialog volume. The VP180 would certainly need an amp right?